


Mirror Effect

by heffermonkey



Series: One Million Words Collection [31]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Community: 1_million_words, Crossover, Fun, Gen, M/M, Quantum Mirror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-05
Updated: 2014-02-05
Packaged: 2018-01-11 07:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1170336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heffermonkey/pseuds/heffermonkey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>5-0 are on the case of a smuggling ring.  When they storm a holding warehouse, Danny gets split up from the team in a way he never expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I began this last year and shelved it. But it's crossover month at [1_million_words](http://1-million-words.livejournal.com/) and I was challenged to write a H50/SG1 crossover so I dusted it off and got back to work on it. I've hummed and haah'ed over making it a long fic or not but I really don't have time to devote it to a longer plot. So I went for the easier wrap up.

"Steve?"

Danny had lost sight of him in the gun fire, having ducked and covered by a nearby stack of crates. He settled onto his haunches, keeping low and out of sight and checked the nearby area but found no sign of Steve nor anywhere he could be taking cover.

"Steve?" he hissed out again, checking his ear mic was still connected but all he heard back was a faint static and he figured his connection had been severed. Not good. Not fucking good. Possibly pinned down, lost sight of his partner, who knew where the perps were now and no contact with the rest of the team. Gritting his teeth he raised his gun to eye level and lifted up, moving forward and around the crates for a better look of his surroundings. They'd been lured into the warehouse, stupidly they'd fallen for it, only to be split up. Now it was simply a game of cat and mouse, he hoped Steve was having better luck than he was. Hopefully Chin and Kono were keeping the outside secure, but what he'd give for Chin's shotgun right now.

He expected a hail of bullets to skim by his head as he chanced standing up to get a good look, but none came. He wondered if the guy was merely playing, waiting for him to become more exposed and Danny checked the perimeter for possible exits as well as for Steve. He hated not having sights on him, it made him nervous and jittery. Steve's presence, for all that he probably had a plan that involved explosions and several rounds of bullets filling the air, grounded him like a partner should. Alone in a dangerous situation like this, made Danny's mind wander too fast onto the _'what if's'_ possibilities.

He crouched down again, pulling out the ear piece to better rely on his hearing. He listened for any sign of movement but everything was still and silent. Perhaps the perp was long gone, having taken his chance of escape whilst Danny took cover and assessed his situation. It wouldn't surprise him if Steve had followed, doggedly determined as usual with no concern for his own safety. Danny busied himself with one of the crates, getting out his knife and cracking open a lid to see just what was being traded through the warehouse that had the bad guys so trigger happy. He pushed away some tarp and revealed what looked like some kind of weapon, but nothing he'd seen before. He reached in and brushed his fingers over it, it was smooth and had a strange colour to the metal. If he picked it up, it would fit easily into his hand, perfectly curved for an easy hold. Maybe Steve knew what it was, who knew what the military had worked on over the years in terms of weaponry.

Danny figured he'd lingered long enough and stood, taking the chance to move around, there were more stacks of crates and he paused by another, this one longer in shape. His knife wouldn't do to open the lid but he found a crow bar lying nearby and cranked it off, this time, stick like weapons with bulbous heads lay inside.

What the fuck had they found? He needed the team in here and fast. He took out his cell but found that too was out of signal. Something was in place to block signals and Danny didn't like it. Cautiously he made for one the nearest door but it was locked, he tried it a few times but it wouldn't budge. He slowly made his way around to the other side where he'd come in, pausing as he passed by yet more crates and some items covered by old sheets and tarpaulin. Curiosity got the better of him and he went to the sheets, peeling one away. Underneath was a tall rock like formation. He frowned, taking a closer look and realising in between the craggy layers there was a shiny surface like a mirror. He edged closer, seeing his reflection and smirked. Why would a mirror be stuck in an old warehouse with some smuggled military weaponry?

As he took in his reflection he had to stare, there was something different or wrong about what he was seeing but he couldn't figure what. He glanced down at himself, then back at the reflection but he couldn't pinpoint why he felt that it was wrong, like it wasn't him, even when it evidently was. Maybe it was the surface of the mirror? Without pause he reached out and stroked the surface, felt a small buzz and he pulled his hand quickly away with a frown.

He definitely needed to get out of the warehouse and into the open air.


	2. Chapter 2

"Danny?" Steve said behind him and he jerked round in surprise to find Steve standing watching him.

"Where the fuck did you go?" Danny snapped, relieved to see him.

"Followed the guy outside, Chin and Kono rounded him up," Steve told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Danny found himself relaxing under the touch. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I think we've found something here," Danny replied, waving a hand around at the crates. "Some kind of weaponry. You may know someone who can give you details. It's gotta be military."

"No shit Sherlock," Steve agreed with an exasperated air, turning and walking away. "Come on, lets head back to HQ and let Mitchell's team get in to deal with this."

Danny stared after him for a few beats. What was with the sarcasm after his suggestion the crates held weapons? And who the hell was Mitchell? Danny began walking after him, about to call him on it when a group walked by Steve, speaking to him a moment before moving on, two were in military attire. Danny eyed up the uniforms, took in the badges. _USAF_ What did this have to do with the Airforce and why hadn't Steve mentioned anything?

"You okay Williams?"

Danny came to a halt and looked at the man, the name on his uniform said _'Mitchell'_. He didn't know him, he searched his mind but nothing came to him, so why would this guy know his name or ask if he was okay? Like they were familiar? He blinked, about to ask him how they knew one another when the woman stepped up beside him. Her name read _'Carter',_.

"Danny, you got pinned down in there for a short while," She pointed out in concern. "You okay? You seem a little out of it?"

"I'm fine," Danny found himself saying, frowning at this group of four. The other two were male, dressed like the others but without any form of insignia representing rank. One was a tall muscled black man who looked disinterested in their conversation and a weird tat on his forehead, the other was average build, glasses, dark hair, looking eagerly at the room beyond.

"Speak to you later okay?" Carter said, putting a hand on his arm as the others moved on.

"Yeah, sure," Danny nodded, turning and walking away, trying to decide whether this was all some bizarre dream or an over-dramatized joke for some reason being played.  
He wandered outside, finding Steve with Chin and Kono, all three in conversation.

"Hey, sorry about the signal," Chin apologised as he walked over to them. "They had some sort of jamming device in place, didn't know it until you reached that inner part of the warehouse where they've got everything stashed. That's why none of the stuff shows up on the radar, making it impossible to detect."

"I'm sure Sam will get it deactivated once they get the go ahead to move everything," Steve replied with a smile. "I guess we can call it a day."

"What?" Danny said in surprise, staring at him like he'd grown an extra head. "Are you forgetting we've got a perp to go interview? Never mind the paperwork. And you want to go home?"

All three stared back at him before Kono gave a nervous laugh. "Um, you okay Danny?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Danny snapped back, not meaning too but nothing seemed right and the longer the joke continued, the more frustrating he was becoming. "Why does everyone keep asking me how I am?"

"You're acting a little weird brah," Chin tried to soothe him with a gentle tone.

Danny looked apologetically at Kono and frowned again. There was something different about her and it took him a moment to figure it was because her hair was different, straighter, shorter and with full on bangs. Why hadn't he noticed this morning? Of course they'd barely seen one another and once Steve had designated duties, they'd been seperated most of the day. But still shouldn't he have noticed earlier?

"Okay, come on, it's been a long day," Steve said to dispel the strange atmosphere settling between them all. "Go home, relax, enjoy the night. Come on you."

Kono and Chin said goodbye as Steve pulled Danny with him and guided him to the car. Danny scowled at him and slid into the passenger side without further argument, staring out of the window as Steve took to the roads. As they drove he relaxed and sat back, enjoying the view and the silence. Things were beginning to feel a little more than fucked up and he wasn't sure what was going on in his head at the moment.

"Hey," Steve said after a pause. "You need to talk? You don't seem yourself."

"I keep telling you, I'm fine," Danny lied in reply, not looking at him. He took in their direction and frowned again, turning his head to Steve. "If you're taking me back to your place, isn't it customary to extend an invitation? Not that I mind. You've got beers at your place I'm sure. I've only got moulding cheese in my refrigerator at the moment."

Steve stared at him with an odd expression, brow furrowing in alarm before he checked the road. "Your place? What the fuck are you talking about Danny? I'm driving us home. Where we live. _Together_?"

Danny opened his mouth to argue but closed up again, sitting back in his seat. Instead he stared ahead of him as Steve pulled around some corners before they finally reached his place. He was fully aware Steve kept looking at him with concern. Danny looked out at the house and was impressed, Steve seemed to have finally put the finishing touches on the paint work, though when he'd found the time in the last few weeks he didn't know. Without a word Steve got out of the car and made his way to the front door, leaving it open as Danny followed, Steve punching in the number to deactivate the alarm. Danny frowned as he watched him, Steve must have changed the code.

Danny closed the door and watched Steve head straight for the kitchen. He hoped he had beer, lots and lots of cold beers so he could drown himself in alcohol and maybe, maybe get rid of this weird feeling that was becoming permanent of things not being quite right. Even Steve seemed different but there was nothing he could put a finger on as to why he felt like that.

He closed his eyes, rubbed fingers along the bridge of his nose at the slight headache beginning to emerge. It had been a long day and maybe this short break at home would do him good before he faced the paperwork, though it still niggled at him that they weren't the ones interviewing the perp back at HQ.

He took out his phone and scrolled through the numbers to 'Grace'. He needed a little grounding and nothing did that for him more than talking to his daughter for a couple of minutes to remind him all was right with the world. He hit dial and followed Steve into the kitchen, finding him busying himself with food as well as two bottles of beer, lids off, sitting on the counter.

Danny sighed and looked at his phone with a frown. Although it seemed to have a full battery, it had no signal and the call wouldn't go through.

"Hey, can I use your phone?" He asked Steve with a heavy sigh, he just wanted to something to go right after the last hour or so he'd had. "Something's up with mine."

"Sure," Steve said, handing him his cell with a worried expression. "Who you calling?"

Danny took the phone and began scrolling through names. "Grace," he replied, frowning when he couldn't find the name.

He found himself shoved forward off balance, phone taken from him and he gave a small grunt before turning around angrily.

"What the fuck McGarett?" He asked wildly, before backing up a few steps against the kitchen counters as Steve aimed his gun at him. "Steve? What the hell?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Who or what are you?" Steve asked him, training his gun steadily.

"What the fuck?" Danny yelled again, staring at him like the mad man he evidently was. "What do you mean, 'who am I?', Danny fucking Williams, your partner. What's with all the aggression?"

"No, _you_ , aren't Danny," Steve said with a shake of his head, gun aimed right at his chest.

"Steve, please," Danny said, feeling a thread of fear beginning to grow, his anger dropping away as he realised Steve was serious. "It's me."

"Where's your ring?" Steve said, looking at his hands as Danny held them up, trying to relay his innocence.

"What?" Danny frowned at the question.

"Your ring Danny, your wedding ring, where is it?" Steve asked again.

"My wedding-?" Danny started, feeling the headache growing. "Okay Steve I don't know what's going on but you're starting to scare me now babe. I haven't worn a wedding ring in years. In fact I finally decided to sell mine after realising I was never going to get Rachel back. Figured the money could go into Grace's college fund, it cost me enough."

"Rachel?" Steve said, brow furrowing. "What the - Rachel, Danny? Grace's mother?"

"Yeah, the woman I was married too until we divorced seven years ago. The reason why I had to move to these god damned islands. So I could be near by daughter. Come on Steve, you know all this."

Steve set his jaw and glared at him, "You aren't Danny Williams. He wouldn't joke about any of this, not Rachel or Grace and definitely not about why he isn't wearing our wedding ring. Sit down, over there, move slowly."

"Our wedding ring?" Danny asked in alarm. "What the - _our_ wedding ring?"

He moved to a chair and sat down heavily, putting his head in his hands and trying to breathe as the room swam around him. He couldn't understand what was going on, what Steve was telling him. This couldn't be a joke, it was just some weird nightmare, maybe some drug induced hallucination he was having.

"Steve, help me out here," Danny said as he pulled in a breath. "I think I'm going crazy or something. I'm Danny Williams, Detective, 5-0. I've been your partner for nearly two years since the task force was set up. I moved here from New Jersey a little over three years ago when Rachel, my ex, married her new husband and moved here with my daughter, Grace. We just celebrated her birthday four weeks ago, she turned eleven and you bought her a new surf board which I said was too much and you insisted on giving her any way saying was she was worth it and so much more. We took her for that damned hike up the mountains to see the Petroglyph with Kono and Chin. Look at my phone if you don't believe me. There are pictures and videos of her on there, pictures of us, Chin, Kono, Rachel and Stan even. The damned thing isn't working but you can still see the pictures right? Please, Steve, you gotta believe me, I am - me."

Steve had settled into a chair opposite him and took all this is in with a frown. But he took Danny's phone as he slid it over to him, Danny watching him desperately for help as Steve scrolled through the cells media. Danny sighed in relief when Steve put his gun down, albeit close at hand if he needed it. Steve looked at the phone for a long time before he looked up at Danny again, softer this time, taking on a soothing tone.

"Okay, maybe you are Danny Williams. But you aren't my Danny Williams," Steve said to him calmly.

"What does that mean?" Danny asked exasperated. "Please, Steve-."

Steve held up a hand and took up his own phone. "Let me put in a call, then we'll talk."

"Okay," Danny agreed, sitting back in his seat, hand rubbing his temples again.

Steve put a call through to someone named 'Sam' and gave them a few details, Danny couldn't really follow the conversation because he couldn't understand what was happening to him.  
"Sam's going to come over," Steve said as he put his phone down again. "You want a drink while we talk?"

"That may be a good idea," Danny replied with a nod. "Thanks."

Steve stood, holstering his gun and grabbing the beers off the bench. He sat in a chair nearer Danny and handed it to him and Danny picked up on the ring on his finger. He sucked in a breath and drank back a mouthful before looking at Steve warily.

"Okay, you said I wasn't 'your' Danny Williams," he said, trying to get his head around the concept. "So, who is 'your' Danny meant to be?"

Steve looked at him, weighing up the idea of trying to explain things. "Okay. Some of your story fits, parts don't. You did move to Hawaii, but that was five years ago, you've been on the task force for three. That was when we met. In a way you did move here because of Rachel and Grace, but not because they came here first."

Steve paused and took a breath, reaching out a hand and resting it over Danny's where it lay on the table. 

"Danny, Rachel and Grace died in a car accident seven years ago back in Jersey," Steve told him slowly. "You struggled to deal with that and after a while you wanted to 'escape' so you tried to get as far away as possible from everything that reminded you of them. You transferred to HPD. It's been a long hard road but you are dealing with it."

Danny tried to take in what he was saying, Steve's hand over his felt like it grounded him in some way, telling him this was all real and happening. Steve's fingers squeezed and rubbed lightly at his.

"They died?" Danny couldn't get his head around the idea. Seven years ago meant he'd still have been married to Rachel and Grace would have only been three or four. Something niggled in the back of his mind as he thought back to the time. "In a car accident?"

"There was a pile up on the New Jersey turnpike," Steve told him quietly. "They were right in the middle of it."

Danny nodded as he thought back. "Rachel had a flat that day so she got delayed, ended up changing her plans. She called to tell me there'd been a mass pile up on the turnpike, said maybe it was fate because she'd have been on the road if the car hadn't of had the flat. It was one of the biggest accidents there, record casualties. I remember the relief in her voice when she spoke to me. I just remember thinking how would I have coped if I'd lost them both? Weird thing is we were divorced just a few years later and I lost them both any way. Kind of."

He found his fingers gripping tight to Steve's and looked down, thumb brushing over the ring that rested at the knuckle.

"You guys - you're, we are - married -?" He asked slowly, not able to get his head around that either.

"Yeah," Steve said with a smile, looking down at their hands. "You asked me, I said yes. To be honest I'd never thought much about marriage until you proposed. But you asked so nicely and pretty much threatened to have my life if I didn't say yes, so I didn't have much choice but accept."

Steve said it in such a way Danny knew he was teasing him. It still didn't make any sense though.

"Aren't you and I-," Steve began and Danny frowned again, his headache growing.

He pulled his hand away, shook his head and picked up his beer to give his fingers something to do.

"We're work partners, nothing more," Danny said, a little more aggressively than he meant. There could be more, if things weren't so damned complicated in both their lives.

"Weird," Steve said sitting back and taking a drink from his own beer. "I couldn't imagine us not being together now. Can't remember how my life made sense without you filling it up."

"Not me," Danny said shaking his head. "That's your Danny, not this one."

He set his beer down, frowning and sighing, "None of this makes any sense."

"Sam's a genius, she'll figure out whatever is going on," Steve assured him. "Gotta have something to do with the warehouse."

"Why do you say that?" Danny asked carefully.

"That's when you started acting weird," Steve told him honestly. "Like not knowing what was in the warehouse, thinking we'd be apprehending and interviewing the jaffa. Plus, no wedding ring. I know sometimes out in the field you take it off, but you always have it back on by the time we get home."

"What's a 'jaffa'?" Danny frowned. Things weren't getting any clearer no matter how long they talked.

"He's one of Ba'al's," Steve shrugged matter of factly. "We knew they were smuggling through weaponry on the islands but I guess none of us figured it would be so simply done. This has been a successful mission for us."

Danny lowered himself to the table and groaned, resting his forehead on his arm. "None of this makes any sense and it's only making my headache worse."

A hand rested on the back of his neck and rubbed softly, as Steve tried to console him. It was weird, because it felt right, even if his Steve had never touched him like that before. It was like Steve knew what to do to make him feel better. His headache didn't ease but he felt the room wasn't swimming with craziness much at the moment. Steve just let him have his moment of insanity in peace.

"God how does he survive without Grace?" He asked, unable to get his mind around the concept.

"I don't know," Steve replied quietly and he sounded sad. Danny lifted his head to look at him and found his expression matched his tone. Steve caught the look and gave a small shrug and soft smile. "I never met her and he won't talk about them much. It's still too painful for him, especially Grace. I've only seen a few pictures and I've never forced him into talking about either of them or the accident. He talks when he needs to and won't be broached on the subject. I learned quickly not to ask. She looks like a good kid."

"She's the best," Danny said proudly with a grin. "She loves you. Thinks your some kind of Island god or something. The Super SEAL ninja, or 'Uncle Steve' for short."

He reached out and picked up his phone, scrolling though some of the photographs and holding the cell up to show Steve. "C'mon, look at her face with you."

It was a picture Kono had taken the day of Grace's birthday. She'd had a party on the evening at home with her friends but on the morning, they'd all been at Steve's for a mini beach party, just the team, Max and Kamekona. Kono had snapped the picture after she'd been given her surfboard and hugged Steve to death whilst talking his ear off about taking the new board out in the water in her new swimsuit Kono had given her. Danny was in the picture too, a look of contentment on his face as he watched them both.  
"You look happy too," Steve mentioned with a small smile. "A bit like this."

He sat back and dug out his wallet, flipping it open and lifting it up a photo to show Danny. It was the of two of them, Steve in his Navy best, Danny in a tuxedo, Steve's hands were cupping his face and Danny took in the expression on his 'others' face as he looked back, complete contentment like his photo of him, Grace and Steve.

"It was taken on our wedding day," Steve said laying the wallet down. "You prefer the one taken later on the evening after a small food fight with the wedding cake. But then you always say I'm the romantic mush of the relationship. Which is ironic considering the proposal, candlelit dinner, home cooked meal, you down on one knee. I still say you were close to tears when you asked, though you insist you weren't. I wasn't expecting it, but it was one of the happiest moments of my life."

Danny glanced away, unsure how to take in the news he and Steve were 'married' and so evidently in love. It bothered him a little that he wasn't completely freaked out by the idea.  
"Doesn't he drive you crazy?" Danny asked, scrapping a fingernail against the grain of the table. He knew how much he and his Steve drove each other nuts at times so he couldn't imagine how living as husbands would work.

"All the time," Steve laughed gently. "You're a slob. I'm a neat freak. I excercise first thing in the morning while you nurse yourself through three coffees by the time I'm done. You hog the remote, took you a few months to sleep properly to the sound of the ocean because I point blank refuse to have a tv in the bedroom. We can make our own entertainment in there thank you very much. And you always, always have to have the last word in an argument."

"Which must drive you crazy considering how competitive you are," Danny smiled at the idea. It sounded like this other 'him', the married to Steve 'him' was a contented, happy guy despite the tragedy in his life. Part of him was glad that despite the hardships his other self had endured, that he'd found his way to Steve and 5-0. That that was something to live for when his world would have seemingly ended after losing his Grace and Rachel.

There was a knocking at the door which halted the conversation and Steve left to go answer it, returning not long after with the woman called 'Carter' who Danny had seen at the warehouse. She eyed him up with an expression on her face that caused Danny to squirm uncomfortably on his seat.


	4. Chapter 4

"You touch something in that warehouse Danny?" she asked sternly.

He felt like a kid under the disapproving eye of a teacher. He thought back to the warehouse and looked up at her meekly with a small nod.

"That mirror thing," He admitted, "And one of the weapons. If it was weaponry."

Carter shook her head and rolled her eyes before entering the kitchen further and sitting down opposite him.

"You know what have I told him about touching?" She said to Steve who sat back in his seat. "What do I tell everyone? You don't touch anything you don't know or recognise. But does he listen? No, he doesn't."

Steve looked meek this time and glanced at Danny and then Carter. "He has no idea what you're talking about by the way."

Carter sighed and sat back, looking over at Danny. "Do you know who I am?" she asked him.

"No. I'm assuming you're Sam, last name Carter because it's on your uniform and you're military, United States AIr Force," Danny replied, putting his Detective skills into practice. "Colonel according to your stripes. But no, I have no idea who you are."

"That warehouse today, do you know what was in all those crates?" Sam continued with a small nod.

"Weapons of some kind, being smuggled into Hawaii by some guy named 'Ba'al' and the perp we arrested was some guy named 'Jaffa'," Danny shrugged. "But I only know that because Steve mentioned it."

"His name isn't Jaffa," Steve corrected him. "He was a jaffa."

"What does that mean?" Danny asked him exasperatedly.

Sam held up a hand before Steve could explain further.

"Tell me what happened before the warehouse," Sam asked him, watching him intently. "What was your mission?"

"Mission?" Danny said with a small frown before glancing at Steve. "Well, I guess that is probably what he calls them in his head when he goes all trigger happy and grenade crazy. We were working a case, some kind of smuggling operation the Governor had received calls about. He put Five-0 on it. We didn't know much, had been given some names and told it was top priority. I brought it up with Steve this morning because smuggling rings aren't really something on our radar unless it's high profile, dangerous and leaves a trail of dead bodies, this seemed pretty tame. Something HPD could handle without us. But he was shady on some of the details, I challenged him asking if some of it was classified and he wouldn't answer which of course tells me it is."

He looked at Steve again matter of factly. "I don't care if it is or not but I need him to be straight with me because I'm his partner."

Steve lifted his hands innocently and shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, it wasn't me."

"Yeah but I bet you're both as bad as each other," Danny retorted. "I know you do it because you're thinking you're protecting people, but would it kill you to remember we're partners and they look after each other equally?"

"Would it kill you to open up once and a while when I try and talk to you about your personal life?" Steve shot back at him. "Without biting my head off and getting all defensive?"  
Danny pursed his lips and looked back at Sam who wasn't even pretending to hide a smile at their petty banter.

"So you were investigating the warehouse as a possible location for the smuggling operation?" Sam continued before the argument could continue.

"Yeah," Danny nodded. "It appeared to be abandoned but we weren't taking any chances. We had HPD back up, Chin and Kono covered the outside and me and Steve went in. We saw someone and but he took off before we could get near or talk to him and ended up inside, before the shooting began. I got turned around, lost sight of Steve and pinned down. Plus the comms were down, something was blocking the signal. Took a few minutes for me to realise the guy had took off, possibly with Steve following. I took the opportunity to look in some of the creates, found weapons of some kind and as I was leaving, I saw the mirror thing."

"Which you touched?" Sam said with a raised brow.

"The reflection looked weird," Danny nodded in explanation. "Like it was me but it wasn't me. So I reached out and touched it, for barely a second. Then Steve was there and we left, which was when I saw you and your team. By then everything was getting weird."

"Okay," Sam nodded, sitting forward and looking at him intently. "So, have you ever heard of the Stargate Program?"

Danny shook his head with a frown. "No."

"You've never met myself, Colonel Mitchell or anyone working for Stargate Command?"

"No, never. First time I ever laid eyes on you was today," Danny explained.

Sam looked at him as if she were weighing up her options. "Okay, what I'm going to tell you is going to sound unbelievable, but it's all true. My name is Samantha Carter and I am a Colonel in the United States Airforce. But I'm also part of Stargate Command, a military ran operation that uses an alien created device called the 'Stargate' which creates wormholes that enables us to visit planets in and around our solar system. Over the last ten years we have been in an intergalactic war with a species named 'The Goa'uld'. Five years ago they attacked Earth and managed to gain a foothold in Northern Europe. The world is at war with this species and it has been a long battle. Five-0 is part of worldwide task force that concentrates of taking down rogue Goa'uld, such as Ba'al, and their attempts to smuggle and gain footholds in other parts of the world. What you found and touched in the warehouse was a Quantum Mirror, something that connects one world to other versions of itself. By touching it, you crossed over, hopefully with the Danny Williams from this world crossing over to your reality in the process."

Danny stared at her for a long time before looking over at Steve who was watching him intently.

"What is this?" Danny demanded after a few beats. "Alien species? Intergalactic wars? Quantum fucking mirrors? What the fuck?"

"It's all true Danny," Steve said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You know I've indulged in watching a few sci fi shows in my time but really, this?" Danny said, waving a hand between them both. "Un-fucking believable."

"And yet believable," Sam retorted. "Obviously in your reality the Stargate Program hasn't went public. In this reality, we've been public since the attack on Earth. It's possible you're McGarrett knows about it or something about it and is unable to tell you about it. You said you found new kind of weapons before you touched the mirror, if they are zats and staff weapons like what we found here, then there is a rogue Goa'uld on your Earth who has to be stopped. It's just that in your reality, it all has to be done top secret, here we don't have to be as cautious. Our Williams, along with the whole task force, have high security clearances."

Danny squeezed his eyes shut and pulled in a breath, counting to ten. This wasn't happening, it was all a dream.

"You said hopefully," Steve said as Danny tried to breathe and steady himself. "Hopefully my Danny is in his reality?"

"Realities are similar and very different at the same time," Sam replied as Danny opened his eyes, well aware of Steve's hand still on his shoulder, fingertips brushing against his neck gently, soothing him. "Would it really surprise you that Danny, your Danny, saw something not quite right in the mirror and reached out to touch the surface? They've basically transferred into each others realities."

Steve looked at Danny with a stern, pissed off expression, fingers tightening a little. "I'll fucking kill him when he gets back."

Danny couldn't help but give a smile at that.

Sam nodded and waved a hand to Danny. "Which is what we need to do, get you back to where you belong and our Danny back here. Hopefully they've figured out pretty quickly that the Danny there isn't this one and if I'm assuming correctly and this is some SGC operation, that they'll have someone who will have realised what's happened and will be working to send him back here."

"This cannot be happening," Danny said still shaking his head.

"I'm sorry," Sam shrugged with a half smile. "Would it help if I said this isn't the first time this has happened?"

Danny gave her an unamused scowl and didn't reply. He still couldn't understand what they were trying to tell him.

"Ready to go? The sooner the better," Sam said, standing. Steve looked up at her and then back to Danny.

"Can you give us a few minutes," Steve replied. "I'll put a message through."

"Okay," Sam agreed. "See you soon."

She took out a small device that sat neatly in the palm of her hand and spoke into it, before a flash of light suddenly seemed to swallow her up. It happened so fast, Danny wondered if it had actually happened.

"Don't worry," Steve assured him and Danny gave him a withering look. "Okay, so she just got 'beamed' up to a spaceship in orbit just outside of the Earth's atmosphere."

Steve shrugged and looked apologetic as Danny continued to stare at him. "Yeah, I know, it sounds ways too Star Trek but it is true Danny. Everything she said is true. When you're ready to go, I'll get them to take us up too.

"Can I wake up now, please?" Danny begged, head sinking to the table once more. "Not sure how much more I can take."

"You think you've got it bad, think of your Steve having to contend with a 'husband' whose spouting off highly classified information to him and demanding to speak to someone at the SGC because of this giant fuck up. Of course, he'll forget he's the cause of the giant fuck up. You I can excuse because you didn't know what you were getting into but him, he knows not to go touching or snooping without people there. He's going to be in so much trouble when he gets back."


	5. Chapter 5

Danny glanced around him, Steve's kitchen had dissolved and he was now surrounded by grey walls and doors, floor squeaky under his feet, a low ceiling above. Steve was beside him, reaching out to give his arm a reassuring squeeze as Sam stood before them with a smile on her face.

"Welcome aboard the Kratos," Sam greeted them. "Follow me."

Danny fell into step by Steve, eyes darting around the corridor which was morbid in it's colour. He couldn't even tell he was in space and was about to comment on it when Sam led them into a large room filled with boxes he recognised from the warehouse.

"The Kratos is transporting the weaponry to Cheyenne, which will then have it sent through the Stargate to various allies," Sam informed them. "This is quite the haul, it'll help hugely in the fight against the Goa'uld."

"You discover this amount of weaponry and you're going to do is distribute it all to your allies?" Danny asked in surprise.

Sam nodded to him, "We can't afford not to. We're winning the war but by a narrow margin. The Goa'uld are tough sons of bitches and just keep coming."

Danny looked around at the haul piled up in the room. "I don't see the mirror."

"They've already catalogued it and transferred it to the mountain," Sam informed them. "We'll be going down with the next shipment."

A uniformed officer entered behind them and began loading crates onto a trolley of some kind. It hovered off the floor without wheels and all Danny could think of was Back to the Future and hover-boards.

"Thanks guys," Sam said, leading them out of the room and down another hall. "We've got a few minutes before we go, want to see what the command deck of a real life spaceship looks like?"

"Lead the way Kirk," Danny said in amusement. If this was some kind of elaborate dream his mind was strangely concocting, then he was happy to go along with it.

"Hey," Someone stepped into the hall alongside them, falling into step with Sam. It was Mitchell who had spoken to Danny in the warehouse. He glanced back at him and gave him a grin, chuckling as they walked. "So someone couldn't keep his fingers to himself. Told you he'd be trouble McGarrett, but you still married him."

Danny glared at Mitchell and then Steve who grinned pathetically beside him, "Wouldn't have it any other way Mitchell."

"How you enjoying the tour D?" Mitchell asked. "Sam confused you with any long words yet?"

Sam gave him a playful nudge, "Ignore him. He's made it his life's mission to be a pain in the neck."

"Uh, I'm going home today, right?" Danny asked in exasperation. It was all getting a bit much for him. They came to a pair of doors which slid open when Sam scanned a card and Danny realised it was an elevator. They all crammed inside and he felt Steve's hand resting gently on his shoulder. It should have felt weird but it actually felt comfortable. It wasn't his Steve, but this Steve instinctively knew when to calm him with words or just with a touch.

"You thought about how this is going to play out for him when he gets to his reality?" Mitchell pointed out to Sam.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Danny asked with a frown.

"Well according to you, the Stargate Program isn't openly known about," Mitchell explained himself. "What I'm saying is, should we have told you anything at all?"

"We couldn't exactly keep it a secret Cameron," Sam replied. "Anyway, I talked it over with Jack as soon as Steve made the call and I put two and two together. It was agreed he needed to know."

"A quick decision," Mitchell muttered under his breath.

Sam took in a breath, giving him a roll of the eyes before shrugging her shoulders. It was out of her control, a direct order from her superior officer, what else could she have done?

"I'm just saying, when he gets back to his reality, what's going to happen to him there," Mitchell told her, making Sam sigh in exasperation.

"I get what you're saying Cam, but do we really need to discuss it here," Sam snapped back.

"Here's our floor," Steve said, cutting off the ensuing argument as the doors slid open. Danny sighed in relief, glad to be out, even if it was still cramped. Nowhere to run and hide. His headache was returning and he was wary of how the walls seemed very close, making him feel encased.

“How long are we going to be on this damn thing?” Danny asked, feeling a churn in his stomach.

Steve put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. “It's okay Danny, you're safe.”

Danny glanced at him and realised Steve was reading him well enough to understand he was suffering a small bout of claustrophobia and was aware of keeping him calm and reassured. It was disconcerting how strangely normal it felt even though his Steve was fairly oblivious to his fear of small spaces. It hadn't ever been a problem he'd had to address with him around.

“Couple of minutes and we'll be down in the mountain,” Mitchell commented off handedly and Danny felt himself seize up at the idea. Inside a mountain. How the hell did one escape that exactly?

“You won't even know it,” Steve said, giving Mitchell the stink eye for the careless comment.

Even Mitchell looked sheepish under the look and gave Danny an apologetic smile. “Sorry man. Keep forgetting you aren't him.”

“If it's an consolation, our Danny Williams is perfectly comfortable in the complex,” Sam added in helpfully.

“And how long has the Danny Williams of this world had to actually become comfortable with being within a mountain range? Or god damned spaceships?” Danny snapped, his head was pounding now and as he looked about the command deck with all the gadgets and holographic screens plus the gigantic shielded window that reminded him he was out there in the actual universe he felt the room spin a little. “Jesus.”

“Come with me,” Steve said without waiting for an answer. He pulled Danny by the arm and Danny didn't protest, just put one foot in front of the other and tried not to pass out. He was trying to decide if he preferred the idea of being cooped up in some giant floating tin can in out space or floating freely around in the vast emptiness of the universe. Both made his head spin and Steve led him to an even smaller room barely able to call itself a broom closet. He still didn't protest when Steve closed the door and pulled him in close, enfolding him in his arms and just holding him. 

“You need to breathe,” Steve reminded him and Danny sucked in a deep breath, face half buried in Steve's shoulder. He closed his eyes, so as not to look at the grey wall behind Steve and because it actually felt nice, safe, like he wasn't about to spiral out. Steve squeezed him and gave a small chuckle that vibrated against Danny's chest. “Let it out darlin'.”  
Danny exhaled quickly at that, frowning and remembering where he was. Who he was.

“Darlin'? Really,” Danny said, pulling in another breath and finding he was starting to feel calm. The headache still ached on his temples but he didn't feel like he was about to faint or puke or a mixture of both.

“Guess Mitchell's rubbed off on me,” Steve laughed. “Guys a sap for romance. My D likes it.”

“I suppose it's weirdly endearing,” Danny admitted. After a few more moments he pulled away gently with an awkward smile. “Thanks Steve, I think I'm okay now.”

“You're white as a sheet,” Steve said, looking at him closely. “And look close to vomiting.”

“I won't hurl in space,” Danny promised. “Though honestly this is testing me, all these grey walls. Can we just get down there already and stop talking about being inside mountains? I'd prefer to be in denial about it, see if I can cope without the real facts.”

“Sure,” Steve chuckled. “It's more open down there, much more than up here.”

“Sounds great,” Danny smiled in relief.

“You look like shit,” Mitchell pointed out when they rejoined the bridge crew.

“Gees thanks Mitchell, you're a charmer,” Danny said dryly.

“We're good to go,” Sam said approaching them after looking over some of the instruments. In the background a person he assumed was in charge was barking out orders and people were communicating via some sort of comm system but Sam, Mitchell and Steve seemed oblivious to them, all gathering in a huddle together with him.

In less than a second the world went bright and Danny found himself standing somewhere new.

“Welcome to the mountain,” Sam smiled.

“No puking in the halls,” Cameron teased. Steve gave him a small shove and he shot him a wide grin, eyes twinkling. “Calm down. He isn't yours remember.”

“Doesn't matter, quit being a jackass,” Steve said but he was smiling back and Danny could read there was a history there between them. A strong bond of friendship he could relate to, because it was the same with him and his own McGarrett.

“Uh any time you're ready, I'd like to go home,” Danny pointed out to them all.

“This way,” Sam said, leading the way through some halls. Steve had been right, it wasn't as cloying inside the facility and as long as Danny didn't think too much about being in the underbelly of a mountain he could maintain a semblance of cool.


	6. Chapter 6

They came to a large room, with another room partioned off by glass above them, looking a viewing point. It had a high ceiling with monitors and tables on the outskirts. Danny figured it was a lab of some kind. Two men were squabbling at a nearby table.

“Daniel,” Sam said to get their attention. “Dr Lee.”

“Oh hi,” Daniel said looking up slightly startled and backing away from Dr Lee pointing a finger. “Don't mess around with it.”

“I don't mess around, I'm a scientist,” Lee retorted, looking down at whatever device they were looking at with childlike glee.

“Let's do this,” Sam said, motioning behind them. Danny turned and saw the strange mirror like creation in the corner.

“How do I know I'll end up in the right place and not some random 'other verse'?” Danny asked warily. He didn't think he could take another trip to lala land very soon.

“it hasn't been touched since you,” Sam pointed out with a shrug. Danny glared at her, wondering if these people remembered he was a fish out of water in their 'world'.

“The device acts like a doorway,” Daniel decided to explain. “They usually have a remote device in which you can 'scroll' through various realities. This one doesn't, so we're assuming it's still 'tuned' to your reality.”

“Uh again, what if it isn't?” Danny asked. None of it sounded optimistic.

“It'll be fine,” Steve said, trying to calm him with a hand on his shoulder, but Danny didn't feel at all assured.

“So basically none of you know,” Danny sighed, approaching the mirror. “Great. Fantastic. Let's just go for a joy ride.”

“Bundle of happiness ain't he,” Mitchell said behind him. Danny turned and glared, happily noting Steve giving Mitchell a hard punch in the arm making him wince. They may not be married, but Steve was loyal to a fault.

“So I uh, just touch it?” Danny asked as he stood in front of the mirror.

“Yes, like you did before,” Sam nodded.

“There was another me in there before,” Danny said. It was strange looking into the surface now. Beyond it was dark, not reflecting like a mirror should. “I'm not so sure about this.”

Sam came to stand beside him and he felt her stiffen, reflectively on guard. “He's right. It's pitch black through there. Who knows where they've moved the mirror too or if they know the Danny of their reality isn't meant to be there.”

“So what do we do?” Mitchell asked.

“Can't I go through and come back?” Danny said with a shrug.

“Well technically yeah,” Sam nodded. “But like I said, we don't know where that is and it's so dark you can't see a thing. What if you get disorientated and turned around? Can't get back?”

“Not likely,” Danny shook his head but Steve stepped up to stand near them.

“Not happening. Until we know it's safe it's a no go,” He shook his head. “It can't take them that long to figure out what's happened. We'll wait it out, someone is bound to make an appearance on the other side and we can try and communicate, make sure it's okay to go ahead.”

“I agree,” Sam nodded. 

“Wait, so now I'm stuck here?” Danny groaned.

“Not indefinitely,” Sam shrugged. “I'll organise a guard detail around the clock until we can confirm its safe.”

“What do I do until then?” Danny asked her in alarm.

Sam turned to him and grinned, "Let me give you the tour of your life.”


	7. Chapter 7

“This place is insane,” Danny said as he sat with Steve in the commissary eating some blue jello. “I mean just – insane.”

“I know it's a lot to take in,” Steve nodded in understanding.

“You ever been through it?” Danny asked him, spooning up more jello.

“Couple of times,” Steve nodded. “On operations. Classified. Sorry.”

“Technically I'm not from here-,” Danny began with a smile.

“Classified Danno,” Steve rolled his eyes. “I haven't told my own husband and he knows about the Stargate Program. So why would I tell you?”

“I was kidding Steve,” Danny pointed out. “So what's it like? Out there?”

“The planets are pretty much like ours,” Steve shrugged. “Had to be to sustain human life so the Goa'uld had somewhere to base their slaves. The Ancients also practised terra-forming, I guess so that if their ancestors explored as we have, we had places to go.”

Danny shook his head in wonder, swallowing down more jello. “Insane,” He muttered under his breath. “To think all of that is out there. You think this world is big. The universe just got a whole lot bigger and scarier. I protect my family from the bad people on the streets and out there is a bigger bad I had no idea about. How do I protect them from that threat?”

“You don't have to. Obviously in your reality, the SGC has everything under control. The planet is protected and you still need to protect your daughter and family from the threats living around you. You're job isn't null and void because of this experience Danny. Don't think you aren't needed because you are.”

“I'm beginning to wonder about my McGarrett. How much he knows and if he's been out there. I don't know much about him before we worked together, like you say, a lot is classified. If this is, then that's a huge secret to keep,” Danny said before musing aloud. “Might explain a few things.”

“Well, depending on how they react, it might not have to be too big a secret between you,” Steve told him. “Could be a good thing.”

“Depending on how they react?” Danny repeated. “What are they going to do? Lock me up to keep me quiet?”

Steve glanced over at him before concentrating hard on the cup of coffee before him. “There are ways of – wiping your memory.”  
“What? Seriously?” Danny asked in slight shock. “They'd do that?”

“It's an option but I don't know D. I don't know what they will do. But we have the technology so it's possible they do too,” Steve explained. “Maybe I shouldn't have said anything but I want you to be aware it could happen.”

“Wow, the most amazing adventure of my life and I might have it all erased,” Danny sighed, pushing away his empty bowl in dismay. “That's seriously fucked up.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Good news, Operation Fuckwit might be about to wrap up,” Sam said over the radio. “Want to meet me there?”

“Yeah,” Steve replied. Danny was frowning as they stood up.

“Operation Fuckwit?” Danny asked. Steve just grinned and didn't reply as they made their way back to the lab where the mirror was, Sam explaining contact had been made with the reality on the other side as they arrived.

“Pretty sure it's your Danny,” She told Steve in slight exasperation.

Steve and Danny walked over to the mirror, the reflection was different now. The room beyond was lit up and people were moving about. There looking back at them was another Danny which Danny found very peculiar. Standing behind him in the background was his Steve, arms folded looking through at him in disbelief. The other Danny looked sheepish and when Steve stepped closer to the mirror he held up his hand, a wedding ring evident on his hand.

“He yours?” Danny asked. Steve nodded, holding up his own ringed hand to confirm. The look on his face was a mixture of irritation and relief and Danny didn't miss the fact that the other Danny was definitely going to be receiving a lecture when he got through. “Well, guess this is it. Gotta admit, weird doesn't quite sum up this whole experience. Pretty sure I'll wake up tomorrow thinking it wasn't real at all.”

“Bye Danno,” Steve said, shaking his hand. “It's been interesting.”

“Yeah,” Danny laughed bemused. Interesting didn't come close to what it all was. 

He drew nearer to the mirror and watched the other Danny do the same. Instinctively they both reached out and touched the surface and Danny felt the static buzz shiver through him. It happened so fast he wondered if anything had changed at all. But as he looked at the surface and reality beyond, the other Danny and Steve seemed to exchange a couple of words before falling into each others arms kissing.

“I'm not kissing you,” Steve pointed out as he turned around to him.

Danny grinned and shrugged, “Wasn't expecting you too.”

“I already kissed one of you today,” Steve continued, moving closer to him and looking him over carefully. “That's enough for me to get my head around currently.”

“He kissed you?” Danny asked before snorting at Steve's face. “What? You think I'm going to give you cooties or something McGarrett?”

“It was just a little out of the ordinary jackass,” Steve pointed out. “That was pretty much the moment he freaked out and I began to wonder about my sanity.”

Danny smiled and they hugged it out before he looked around them. Sam, the Sam Carter of his own universe, was standing nearby, arms folded as she glared at him.

“Touch something in that warehouse Williams?” She asked.

Danny slung his hands in his pockets and looked sheepish. “Yes ma'am.”  
~


End file.
